The Lodge at Pembina was named Northern Light Lodge. When
the Masons who obtained the Dispensation from Grand Master A.T.C. Pierson
were moved to a different location they left the dispensation with the Brothers
who were raised in the Lodge rather than have them without a Lodge. Grand
Master Pierson approved this and gave those remaining Brothers a Warrant
for Northern Light Lodge.

The Lodge moved to Fort Garry, Red River Settlement. This
settlement was at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers where "Verandrye
established Fort Rouge in 1738." Later, in 1804, The North West Company
built Fort Gibraltar. Shortly afterwards the Hudon's Bay Company built Fort
Douglas, named after Thomas Douglas, the 5th Earl of Selkirk and founder
of the Red River Settlement. "The building of the first Fort Garry
took place in 1821 and was named after Nicholas Garry, a director of the
Hudson's Bay Company." In 1835, construction of a new Fort was started.
The first one was made of wood; the second was made of stone. This new Fort
was the center for business, education, government, etc., for more than
30 years and became the nucleus of the present city of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Freemasonry entered Manitoba through and by Northern Light
Lodge warranted by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota in 1864. This lodge had
the unique distinction of being the first and only Military Lodge under
Dispensation and Warrant in a territory of the United States by the Grand
Lodge of Minnesota, and then the Grand Lodge of Minnesota a Warrant for
the same Lodge but this tiime in the "Red River Settlement," British
Possession. It is doubtful that any other Lodge in the British Empire had
the distinction of being first warranted by any Grand Lodge of the United
States.

On March 17, 1864, the following appeared in the newspaper
for the Settlement called The Nor' - Wester:

"A party from this settlement proceeded to Pembina
a few weeks since to join the Masonic Order, through the Lodge established
there. They took the necessary degrees to qualify them to open a Lodge
here, which it is their intention to do on receipt of a dispensation from
the Grand Lodge, application for which has already been made.

"We will be glad to see Masonry fully established
in our midst, for in its organization and teachings it is admirably adapted
to do good in every community, irrespective of class, creed, or nationality.
It has its secrets - - the secrets of the ages - - and what others have
been so well kept?

"Pretended revelations have been made by those who
know the public was always eager to find out a secret, and would be willing
to pay well to satisfy their curiousity; but they know little, for the
working of the order is as much a mystery to outsiders now as it was in
the far distant past from whence it dates its origin."

It might be interesting to know that Dr. John Schultz and
his partner, William Coldwell, at the time jointly owned the newspaper,
The Nor'-Wester; they were the first Master and Secretary of the
Lodge, respectively. It is also of importance that this newspaper account
establishes the fact of the introduction of Freemasonry into the Province
of Manitoba.

A few weeks prior to the departure of the Officers and
Members then composing Northern Light Lodge at Fort Pembina, the following
petition was written by Brother A.G.B. Bannatyne and sent to the Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota:

To the M.W. Grand Lodge Of the State of Minnesota:

The undersigned petitioners being Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons, having the prosperity of the fraternity at heart, and willing to
exert their best endeavors to promote and diffuse the genuine principles
of Masonry, respectfully represent that they are desirous of forming a
new Lodge in the Red River Settlement, Rupert's Land, to be named Northern
Light Lodge; they further pray for letters of dispensation or a warrant
of constitution, to empower them to assemble as a legal Lodge to discharge
the duties of Masonry in a regular and constitutional manner, according
to the original forms of the order, and the regulations of the Grand Lodge.

They have nominated and recommended Brother John Schultz,
to be the first Master, Andrew G.B. Bannatyne, to be the first Senior Warden,
and William Inkster, to be the first Junior Warden of said Lodge.

In prayer of the petition is granted, they promise a strict
conformity to the constitution, laws, and regulations, of the Grand Lodtge.

The petition was received by Grand Master A.T.C. Pierson
and granted on May 20, 1864. The Grand Master mentioned this dispensation
in his annual address to the Grand Lodge at the Annual Communication of
the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, held in St. Paul, on October 25, 1864.

"During the year, I renewed the dispensation of Northern
Light Lodge, removing it to the Red River Settlement, application for a
charter will be made during the present session."

The first public announcement of a Masonic Lodge meeting
held in the Red River Settlement was in the Advertising Column of The Nor'-Wester
in the November 2nd issue:

MASONIC

The members of

NORTHERN LIGHT LODGE

Of F. & A. M.

Will meet in the Lodge Room in the

Building of A.G.B. Bannatyne, Esq.

On

Thursday, 8th November, at 7 p.m.

By order of the W.M.

The minutes of Northern Light Lodge on the occasion of
the first communication of the Lodge in the Red River Settlement are reproduced
in the book Freemasonry in Manitoba 1864 - 1925. Some of the Minutes
are:

"The Grand Lodge of Minnesota having issued a warrant
empowering the opening of a Lodge, U.D. at Fort Garry, Red River Settlement,
and having, for the better carrying out its views, appointed John Schulz,
Esq., W.M., A.G.B. Bannatyne, Esq., S.W., and W. Inkster, Esq., J.W. of
said Lodge, a meeting of Master Masons was convened in the Lodge Rooms,
in the building of A.G.B. Bannatyne, Esq., on Tuesday evening, November
8th, A.D. 1864, at which the following officers were elected to serve during
the year.

"The petition of Rev. T.T. Smith to be made a Mason,
accompanied by the required fee, and recommended by Bros. John Schulz and
A.G.B. Bannatyne, was presented, read, and referred to a committee.

"The petition of Mr. William McMurray to be made
a Mason, accompanied by the required fee, and recommended by Bros. Bannatyne
and Coldwell, was presented, read, and referred to a committee.

"The petition of Rev. W.H. Taylor to be made a Mason,
accompanied by the required fee, and recommended by Bros. Hall and Morgan,
was presented, read, and referred to a committee.

"The Treasurer reported the receipt of an invoice
from Brother Curry of St. Cloud, containing charges, amounting to $158.00
for outfittiing furnished Northern Light Lodge. The box contained the articles
on account of which the charges had been made, not having yet arrived.
Brothers Schultz, Bannatyne, and Sheal were appointed a committee to take
stepos to procure the box as speedily as possible.

"At the suggestion of the W.M., the subject of fixing
the admission fee for the Lodge was taken up, and it was moved by Brother
Inkster, seconded by Brother Sheal, that the fee be fixed at 5 pounds sterling.

"Brother Bannatyne, seconded by Brother Curtis, moved
in amendment that the fee be 4:10/ - sterling.

"The amendment was then put, and lost, and the original
motion carried.

"On motion of Brother Curtis, seconded by Brother
Hall, the nights of the regular communication were arranged to be on every
alternate Monday, commencing 14th inst. (November 1864).

"Brothers Bannatyne, Inkster, Sheal and Coldwell,
were appointed a committee to look after the necessary ornaments, fixtures,
etc., needed for the Lodge.

"The Lodge was closed until the next regular communication,
peace and harmony prevailing.
John Schultz, W.M., W. Coldwell, Secy."

In the issue of The Nor'-Wester on November 9, 1864, the
notice of the first "Regular Communication" was inserted in the
Advertising Column. The notices in the paper are important, because by them
it can be determined the dates of the first, and the first regular meeting
of a Masonic Lodge in the jurisdiction of the Red River Settlement, now
the Province of Manitoba, and more exactly in the city of Winnipeg.

On November 21, 1864, Rev. Thomas Thistlewaite Smith and
Rev. W.H. Taylor received their 1st Degree. One week later Rev. Archdeacon
J. Hunter was initiated as a Freemason. The Lodge at that tiime met every
alternate Monday for the transaction of regular business, and also on the
intervening Monday Nights in Special Communication, and in the records there
have been found instances where two degrees were conferred on the same candidate
on the same evening.

It being remembered that the Master of the Lodge U.D. at
Fort Pembina was W.B. Charles W. Nash, the Brothers of Northern Light Lodge
at the Communication of January 9th, 1865, elected Brother Nash as an honorary
member of the Lodge.

On January 30, 1865, a discussion was taking place in Northern
Light Lodge to obtain a Charter from some source other than the Grand Lodge
of Minnesota. A committee of Brothers Bannatyne, Rev. T.T. Smith, and William
Coldwell to take the necessary action forward, and if possible, to accomplish
this by making application for a Charter to the Grand Lodge of England.
No further record of this is found in the Lodge records and the Grand Lodge
of England has no record that any such request had ever been made.

At the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota,
held October 24, 1865, Grand Master George Washington Prescott made this
special reference to Northern Light Lodge: "Whereas, they have been
informed that Northern Light Lodge, U.D., at Fort Garry, is working under
the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge, and with a commendable degree of diligence
and success, for the best interests of Masonry, and said Lodge desires a
renewal of their dispensation until the next annual communication of this
Grand Lodge, your committee would, therefore, recommend that a renewal of
their dispensation be granted to them in accordance with their request."

Norther Light Lodge went dark for the summer months as
of May 1865 and resumed again on November 17, 1865. The desire to obtain
a charter from the Grand Lodge of Canada occupied the minds of the members
of the Lodge in a meeting held April 18, 1866, when it was resolved that
Brother Schultz be authorized to procure a Charter from the Grand Lodge
of Canada, and to be assisted in this by Brother T. Bunn. The Minutes of
this particular meeting contain this statement: "That this meeting
be the last regular meeting for this season." It was approved by all
the members present. This is the last written record that can be found of
the Old Lodge. If Minutes were later taken they were not writtten in the
original Minute Book. However, there were mentions of the Lodtge from other
sources, one of them being the December 20, 1965, editiion of The Nor'-Wester:

The Masons of Northern Light Lodge U.D., will meet at
their Lodge Room, Town of Winnipeg, on the second Monday of the New Year.

By order of the W.M., H. McKenzie, Secretary

From the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota it
is learned that $22 was remitted "on account of dues had been received
by the Grand Secretary, but the remark is added - no returns had been sent
in by the Lodge."

M.W. Brother Thomas Tweed, a Past Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of Manitoba received in 1895 a letter from W. Bro. Dr. John Schulz.

". . . and a novelty it was indeed in this country
at that time. It was spoken of far and wide, and the description, which
did not decrease in detail, or increase in accuracy as to what was done
therein, was listened to with much curiousity, and in some cases with awesome
wonder, which was enhanced by the jocoseness of Brother Bannatyne's clerks,
who pointed out from the room below (to wit, the trading house), exactly
in what part of the upstairs room the W.M. hung his hat while the Lodge
was at work.

"The Lodge Room itself was made as tasteful as circumstances
of that day would admit, and it may interest the curuious to know the exact
cost of some of the furniture as given in a memorandum which I happen to
have near me, in the sterling money of the day, namely:

Tables 1:19:6; Inner Door 1/-; Altar 19/6; Wallpaper 39/-;
24 black beads, 1/6; 24 white beads 1/-; 100 copies of by-laws 40/-; and
it may be inferred that the craft was not always at work, for I find on
the same list, 15 tin plates, 15 iron tablespoons, 15 teaspoons, 12 cups
and saucers, 1 tin pan, 4 cans pickled oysters, 1 pound butter, and 2 pounds
sugar, which would seem to show that there were intervals for refreshment.
The jewels were borrowed from the Pembina Lodge, and were used until the
following January (the Lodge commenced work in November 1864) when these
were replaced by fine ones from Chicago through the good offices of N.W.
Kittson."

In the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota for
1867 Grand Master Charles W. Nash reported: "I also renewed the Dispensation
without additional fee, for Northern Light Lodge, Fort Garry, British North
America, 21st November 1866."

M.W. Brother Nash added, "Northern Light Lodge is
located at Fort Garry, British America. The long distance to be traveled
rendered it difficult to have a representative in Grand Lodge." A further
reference is found in the proceedings that Northern Light Lodgte having
made their return and settled accounts was Granted a Charter on October
24, 1867, and Northern Light Lodge received number "68" on the
register of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.